Method of producing concrete form ties and the like



March 13, 1962 F. E. BUYKEN METHOD OF PRODUClNG CONCRETE FORM lIEIS ANDTHE LIKE Filed Feb. 18, 1958 FIG FIG

FIG 4 FIG FRANK E. BUYKEN FIG United States Patent 3,024,527 IWETHGD FPRODUCING CONCRETE FORM TIES AND THE LIKE Frank E. Buylken, 8620 IslandDrive, Seattle 8, Wash. Filed Feb. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 715,906

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 29509) This invention relates to improvements in themethod of producing concrete form ties and the like and, moreparticularly to the method of producing flanges on such ties to act asstops when the ties are used to space apart or spread a pair of opposedform walls.

Briefly, a concrete form tie is a metal bar having buttons or headsformed on the extreme ends to receive Wedges or other attachment devicesat the outside of the form walls. Intermediately, such a rod is providedwith one or more break points that weaken the rod to such extent that,when it is imbedded in concrete and is twisted from outside theconcrete, the rod will break within the wall and thus permit the removalof the protruding ends. It will be understood that the wall panels ofthe form are usually lumber or plywood sheets provided with prelocatedholes to receive the ends of the form ties. Between the button heads andan adjacent break point such a rod must include stop means, preferablyof flange shape, to abut the form inner face to permit spacing orspreading as between two form walls. I

It is among the salient objects of this invention to provide an improvedmethod of manufacturing flanged form ties, and to provide a novel methodof attaching and locating flange washers on the tie rods as required anddesired.

Another object of the invention has been the provision of a method ofproducing flanged form tie in which the flange is secured to the tie rodin a manner that avoids reducing the strength of the rod at the pointwhere the flange is attached, particularly avoiding the weakening effectof crystallization due to heat processing or a reduction in mass due tocutting into the rod body.

Other objects have been the provision of a method of manufacturing aform tie which lends itself to modern high-speed manufacturing processesand requirements in order that the volume of production may beeconomically and efficiently obtained with simple tools and relativelyunskilled labor.

In essence my method of producing an annularly flanged form tiecomprises circumferentially uniformly swelling a metal tie rod in anarea spaced from an end to a diameter greater than the normal diameterof the rod. I form a washer with an axial opening greater than thenormal diameter of the rod and less than the diameter of the swelledarea. Assembly of the form tie is obtained by sliding the washer ontothe rod end of normal diameter and forcing the washer onto the swelledarea of the rod to a position normal to the axisof the rod and where itis frictionally retained. In carrying out this method a variationinvolves forming an annular outstanding shoulder on the swelled portionof the rod, the shoulder being so located that when the washer is forcedon to the swelled portion from the rod end of normal diameter it comesinto abutment with the shoulder.

Another feature of novelty of this invention is the provision of a formtie resulting from the described method. The invention in its method andapparatus aspects is shown and described in the accompanying drawings ina preferred form together with related modifications. Changes andmodifications and variations fairly falling within the scope of thesubjoined claims are contemplated as a part of the instant invention.Throughout the drawings like reference characters refer to like parts.

2 In the drawings: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tie rod embodyingthe invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view taken in the plane 2-2 of FIG- URE 1 with a tie rodper se shown in cross section;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of an end portion of amodified tie rod according to the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a face view of a washer;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross section view showing a washer of FIGURE 4attached to a rod as in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross section showing the washer of FIGURE 4attached to the rod of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 illustrates a modified form of washer; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged cross section showing the washer of FIGURE 7attached to a rod as in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 1 shows a rod 10 of metal which has been struck or deformed toprovide break points 12 in its middle area. Outward of break points 12and inward from each end, rod 10 is swelled to provide the enlargedportion 14. Preferably the swelling of the rod 10 is accomplished coldas, for example, by securely gripping the rod on each side of the areato be swelled and while so gripped sharply and briefly moving thegripping means together whereupon the intermediate area of the rod isshortened and outwardly bulged as shown in FIGURE 1.

For illustrative purposes only let it be assumed that the normal roddiameter is 0.250 inch. A desirable bulge would have a maximum diameterof 0.3125 inch. Those portions of the bulge 14 intermediate the greatestdiameter thereof and the normal diameter of the rod preferablyconstitute sloping surfaces merging substantially smoothly with eachother at the point of greatest diameter and quite smoothly with thenormal rod diameter whereby to provide at least one inclined surface forpurposes that will later become apparent.

Referring to FIGURE 4 the Washer 16 has an axial opening 18 which isslightly larger than the normal rod diameter and slightly smaller thanthe greatest diameter of the bulge 14. It will be apparent that underthese circumstances the washer 16 can easily be slipped over the rod end15 of normal diameter but that it cannot be easily moved onto the bulge14 except under conditions of substantial pressure to move itlongitudinally along the rod.

Again for illustrative purposes, typical dimensions being given, theopening 18 is preferably 0.002 to 0.004 inch in diameter greater thanthe normal rod diameter of 0.250 inch thus permitting an easy slippingfit. Normally the washer will be formed of metal softer than the rod sothat when the washer 16 is pressed on to the bulge 14 it will be forcedup the inclined surface and be caused to swell slightly. In this manneran extremely tight frictional engagement is obtained between the washerand the rod at the bulge portion.

Normally rod 10 will be provided with a pair of washers 16 each locatedinward a pre-determined distance from the end of the rod and spacedapart according to form wall spacings desired. The rod 10 is upset toprovide a button head 20 as shown in FIGURE 1 for attachment by clampingor securing means outside a concrete form wall.

In FIGURE 3 I show a modified form of rod 10 having break point 12,normal end 15, and a bulge 24 which is characterized by having anannular shoulder 26 in that part of the bulge away from the free end ofthe rod 10. The shoulder 26 is formed during the swelling or bulging ofthe rod and, illustratively, may extend circumferentially of the bulgeto an overall diameter of approximately 0.003 to 0.004 inch beyond thegreatest dimension of the bulge 24. The production of shoulder 26 isaccomplished by confining the area of the rod being bulged in die wallsthe sizes and contours of which comply to the dimensional requirementsas illustratively described above.

An assembly of washer 16 with the rod of FIGURE 3 appears as in FIGURE6. In this instance the washer 16 has been forced on to the bulge 24until it has reached a point of abutment with annular shoulder 26 whereit is caused to outstand normal to the axis of the rod 10.

In FIGURE 7 I illustrate a modified form of washer 36 which has anopening 38 at its center. The periphery of opening 38 is provided withself-cutting thread elements 40 as shown and described in my copendingapplication, Serial No. 715,907, filed February 18, 1958. The washer 36may be used for flanging rod 10 having bulge 14 of FIGURE 1 or bulge 24of FIGURE 3 in which case the assembly will be as appears in FIGURE 8.Rather than applying the washer by straight line force it is preferableto spin washer 36 on in a threading action whereupon matching threadelements 41 will be cut in the bulge 14 by the thread cutting elements40 of the washer 36. It will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat the washer 36- may similarly be applied to a shouldered rod of thetype shown in FIGURE 3. Any metal particles cut by the thread elements40 from the bulges of the rod escape through the relief notches 42between the interrupted thread elements.

It will be understood that the working of the rod 10 to provide bulges14 or 24 results in a hardening and stiffening of the rod material aswell as in a dimensional increase circumferential of the rod. Wheneither washer 16 or washer 36 is disposed on the rod there will be noweakening of the rod beyond its normal strength. As a result the rod atthe point where the washer is attached is normally stronger than at thebreak points 12. This insures that when the rod is subjected to twistingfor the purposes of breaking it after the concrete has hardened thebreak will certainly occur within the concrete wall and not at its faceor in the close proximity of the flanged washer on the rod.

Tie rods according to this invention may be fractured or broken blindwhile the form panels are still in place on the hardened concrete. Thisfacilitates the removal of the form panels and eliminates the necessityof unseating the panels from the protruding, firmly held tie ends whichmay often be bent or misaligned during erection or filling of the forms.In this way the stripping of the forms is facilitated.

By carefully controlling the relative size between washer opening 18 andthe larger diameter of swelled portions 14 or 24, it is possible toposition the washer normal to the rod axis but not so tightly thereonthat, upon rotation of the rod while the washer is embedded in concrete,the rod may nevertheless turn freely. This gives a definite advantagewhen forms are being stripped in that the mechanic need only revolve therod to effect its fracture at the break point and the washer will notrevolve thus eliminating damage to its embedding concrete.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of producing an annularly flanged form tie, comprising:circumferentially, uniformly swelling a metal tie rod in an area spacedfrom an end to a diameter greater than the normal diameter of the rodand providing a sloping surface merging between the normal diameter ofthe rod and its end and the greater diameter of the swelled portion,selecting a washer with an axial, circular opening greater than thenormal diameter of the rod and less than the diameter of the uniformlyswelled area, sliding said washer onto said rod end of normal diameterto close proximity with the swelled area, and forcing said washer ontosaid sloping surface of the swelled area of the rod to annular flangedisposition therearound, whereby said Washer is caused to swell slightlyand is secured in tight frictional engagement on the form tiesubstantially perpendicular to the axis of the rod.

2. The method of claim 1 in which, simultaneously with the swelling ofthe rod, there is included the step of forming an annular outstandingshoulder on the swelled portion and facing the rod end, and the washeris forced onto the swelled portion into abutment with said shoulder.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the forcing of the washer onto theswelled portion is accompanied by simultaneously rotating one elementrelative the other element.

References (Iitcd in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,142,820 Knauf June 15, 1915 1,805,124 Wilcox May 12, 1931 2,107,130Schenk Feb. 1, 1938 2,152,962 Ice Apr. 4, 1939 2,193,078 Schenk Mar. 2,1940 2,222,339 Schenk Nov. 19, 1940 2,276,050 Leighton Mar. 10, 19422,494,128 Holmquist Jan. 10, 1950 2,564,372 Phelps Aug. 14, 19512,657,449 Hillberg Nov. 3, 1953 2,657,455 Hillberg Nov. 3, 19532,775,018 McLaughlin Dec. 25, 1956

